Apparatus and method for automatically handling and filling drums

Abstract

Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums comprising a conveyor on which drums may be sequentially moved to an orienting station, a filling station and a capping and sealing station. The orienting station includes a rotating mechanism for rotating the drum so that a bunghole in the upper end thereof is properly oriented for subsequent filling. The filling station includes a tubular filling lance connected to a source of liquid and which may be lowered into the bunghole for filling the drum with liquid and then raised allowing the drum to be moved to the capping and sealing station.

We claim:  
     
       1. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums the upper ends of which are provided with bungholes for filling said drums with liquid, said apparatus comprising: 
       an elongated conveyor on which said drums may be sequentially moved to an orienting station, a filling station and a capping and sealing station;  
       orienting means located at said orienting station including lifting means operable to lift a drum off of said conveyor, rotating means operable to rotate said drum about a vertical axis and recognition means for sensing when the bunghole of said drum is rotated to a preselected position orienting said drum for subsequent filling, said lifting means being further operable to lower said drum onto said conveyor after said orienting thereof for further movement to said filling station; and  
       a vertically disposed elongated tubular filling lance operatively connected to a source of liquid and to a power device by which said lance may be moved between raised positions above said drum and a lowered position coaxially aligned with and extending through said bunghole into said drum for filling said drum with liquid, said lance being moveable to said raised position by said power device when said drum is filled for further movement of said drum to said capping and filling station where said bunghole may be capped and sealed.  
     
     
       2. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 1  including weighing means located at said filling station and on which said drums may be supported for indicating when said drum is filled with liquid. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 1  including second lifting means located at said filling station and by which said drum may be lifted off of said conveyor while it is being filled with liquid through said lance. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 3  including weighing means located at said filling station and operatively associated with said second lifting means to weigh said drum and the liquid contents thereof when said drum is lifted off of said conveyor. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 1  in which said rotating means comprises a pair of spaced apart idler wheels engageable with outer surfaces of said drum and a power operated drive wheel engageable with opposing surface outer surfaces of said drum for rotating said drum about said vertical axis. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus for automatically handling and filing drums as set forth in  claim 5  in which said rotating means also includes rollers surmounted on said lifting means and engageable with a lower end of said drum when said drum is lifted off of said conveyor to rotatingly support said drum as it is rotated by said drive wheel. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 6  in which said rollers comprise a plurality of cylindrical rollers the axes of which are substantially horizontal and each axis of which is radially disposed relative to said vertical axis of said drum. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 1  in which said conveyor comprises at least one pair of sprocket driven parallel chains spaced apart for engagement by lower ends of said drums on opposite sides of and at substantially equal distance from the vertical centers of said drums, said lifting means being moveable between said chains for lifting said drum off of said conveyor and said chains thereof. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 8  in which there are two pairs of said sprocket driven parallel chains, one pair being spaced further apart than the other. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 8  including second lifting means located at said filling station and engageable with said drum between said pair of chains for lifting said drum off of said conveyor at said filling station. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 10  including weighing means located at said filling station and operatively associated with said second lifting means to weigh said drum and the liquid contents thereof when said drum is lifted off of said conveyor by said second lifting means. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums the upper ends of which are provided with bungholes for filling said drums with liquid, said apparatus comprising: 
       an elongated vertically disposed tubular filling lance operatively connected to a source of liquid and to a power device by which said lance may be vertically moved between raised and lowered position;  
       an elongated conveyor on which said drums may be sequentially moved to an orienting station, a filling station and a capping and sealing station;  
       orienting means located at said orienting station including first lifting means operable to lift a drum off of said conveyor, rotating means operative to rotate said drum about a vertical axis and recognition means for sensing when the bunghole of said drum is rotated to a preselected position orienting said drum for subsequent filling thereof, said first lifting means being operable to lower said drum onto said conveyor after said drum has been oriented for further movement to said filling station;  
       Second lifting means located at said filling station operable to lift said drum off of said conveyor when said bunghole is coaxially aligned with said tubular filling lance and allowing said lance to be moved to said lowered positions, within said drum, as said drum is being filled with liquid therethrough, said second lifting means being operable to lower said drum, when filled, onto said conveyor for further movement to said capping and sealing station where said bunghole may be capped and sealed.  
     
     
       13. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 12  including weighing means located at said filling station and operatively associated with said second lifting means to weigh said drum and the liquid contents thereof. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 13  in which said weighing means comprises a load cell adjacent to said second lifting means. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 12  including control means operatively connected to said filling lance power device, said conveyor means, said orienting means and said first and second lifting means for controlling sequential movement of a drum on said conveyor assembly for orientation at said orienting station, filling with liquid at said filling station and eventual capping and sealing at said capping and sealing station. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 12  in which said rotating means comprises a pair of spaced apart idler wheels engageable with cylindrical surfaces of said drum and a power operated drive wheel engageable with opposing cylindrical surfaces of said drum for rotating said drum about said vertical axis. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 16  in which said rotating means also includes a plurality of rollers surmounted on said first lifting means and engageable with the periphery of the lower end of said drum when said drum is lifted off of said conveyor to rotatingly support said drum as it is rotated by said power operated drive wheel. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 17  in which said plurality of rollers comprises at least a first pair of rollers and a second pair of rollers spaced apart by a distance substantially corresponding with the diameter of said drum, each of said rollers being mounted for rotation on axes substantially corresponding with a radius of said drum. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 12  in which said conveyor comprises a pair of parallel chains spaced apart to engage lower ends of said drums on opposite sides of the vertical centers thereof, said first and second lifting means being moveable between said pair of parallel chains when lifting said drum off of said conveyor. 
     
     
       20. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 12  in which said conveyor comprises two pairs of parallel chains, a first pair spaced apart to engage lower ends of said drums on opposite sides of the vertical centers thereof and a second pair spaced apart to engage lower ends of said drums on opposite sides of said vertical centers thereof but further from said centers than said first pair. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus for automatically handling and filling drums as set forth in  claim 20  in which said first and second lifting means are moveable between both of said pairs of parallel chains when lifting said drum off of said conveyor.